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The Salem area landed a spot on an index that tracks improving home building markets.

Regions are considered to have an improving market based on three criteria measured over six months: building permits, employment and new home prices. Other metropolitan areas in Oregon, such as Portland and Bend, made the index in recent months or last year.

In March, the city of Salem issued 32 single family building permits. That’s the largest monthly total in Salem since late 2009, when a federal housing tax credit program briefly buoyed the real estate market, Erdmann said.